A Test of Faith
by dragonscales00
Summary: AU. Thanagar was destroyed by the Gordanians 20 years after the war ended. A child was sent away in an escape pod as a last ditch effort to spare at least one life. She was discovered by a widowed priest and was raised in solitude in his village and then in the Vatican. Soon the world has a need for a real living angel and John Stewart can't take his eyes off of her.
1. The Baby and Battles

**_The Baby and the Battles_**

 _23 years ago_

 _Eldric and Cheyenne Hol flew past the panicked citizens of Thalrassa. The Gordanians have returned after twenty years of peace and had trapped every single Thanagarian on the planet, intent on killing off everybody in the planet alongside them. The Gordanians have lost the war and have signed the peace treaty as a sign of peace but it seems that few Gordanians refused to stand down. As Eldric led his wife to the labs, he glanced down at her arms where she carried their egg. Their egg, colored brown and white (signifying that it is a girl), had a chance to escape the oncoming destruction but it was going to be a thin line to walk. Eldric was one of the leading scientists on Thanagar and had developed a sleek escape pod that was supposed to be used on the military ships, but with the military eradicated and all of Thanagar doomed to spend their final minutes with whatever family they could find, Eldric decided to send his only child into the pod in the hopes that she may find safety away from Thanagar._

" _Eldric," his wife whimpered, "She'll be alone, defenseless, is this truly the only course?"_

" _No, we can condemn her to die with us without giving her the chance to live a life. She'll be alone, yes, but I have already had the good mind to have an Absorbascon ready for transportation."_

" _Why did you have one prepared? Did you know that the Gordanians were coming?"_

" _No, this is a nightmare I never thought would even be possible. I have an Absorbascon prepared in the hopes that we can open relationships with Raan. By sharing knowledge, we can build allies and build bridges between gaps. Unfortunately it seems that this Absorbascon, which holds all the knowledge we have ever discovered here on Thanagar, will be one of the last links our daughter will have." said Eldric as he placed the wire-framed helmet in a compartment in the pod. He also placed a blanket in the incubation chamber to provide better comfort for the egg._

" _One of the last links? What else do you plan to send with her?" asked Cheyenne. Eldric moved to a room and came out carrying a glowing raw metal.  
_ " _Nth." whispered Cheyenne._

" _Yes, it is the last that we could discover in the mines. With this, our little Shayera will be able to defend herself." said Eldric, placing the rare metal in another compartment.  
_ " _How is she to know how to use it though?"_

" _With this." said Eldric, holding up a glowing orb. The orb began to glow intently and the glowing mist from the orb to the egg, imbedding itself inside the growing daughter within._

" _What is it?"_

" _Nth Source."_

" _I thought that was a legend."_

" _So did I, but imagine my luck in discovering it. Now… it's time." said Eldric. Taking the precious egg from his wife, he placed it inside the incubation chamber. The egg was now protected and was kept in a cozy temperature until the time came for the egg to hatch. After closing the lid, Eldric removed his mask and looked at his wife. She too had already removed her mask and looked at him with tears in her eyes.  
_ " _She'll be safe," he whispered brokenly, "She'll be a gift to another world." The mother and father hugged each as Eldric powered the escape pod and the ceiling opened up. Eldric typed in the computer the coordinates for Raan, not realizing that in his haste to send his daughter to safety he added a few extra coordinations, and the pod flew up before it entered into warp space._

" _Be safe my daughter," whispered Eldric. A sudden explosion from the distance was heard and Eldric looked at his beautiful wife one last time. Her fiery red hair glowed in the light and she looked into his emerald eyes, shining with tears but also with happiness that their daughter had managed to escape. They gave each other one final kiss and wrapped their wings around each other as the Gordanians' nuclear blast entered into the atmosphere and eradicated all life on Thanagar._

 _Earth: Sperare, Italy_

 _Father David Roberto was tending his gardens as the sunset over the mountains. He lived a very isolated life, his wife and child having died during childbirth. He went into a self-exilement in the woods away from the city, wanting to grant himself inner peace before returning to his duties as priest in the church. He fasted, prayed, and worked in order to help himself think through his pain. He shivered as the night air set in and he glanced at the wood pile. He only had a few to spare before having to go out and cut some wood for himself again. He sighed and looked as the sky turned into a beautiful mixture of purple, red, and yellow. How his wife used to drag him outside the sanctuary to look at the sunrise and set._

 _He wiped away the tears and continued tending his garden. He needed to let go of his pain but he has yet to discover how. Taking a shuddering breath, he quietly prayed, "Dear Lord in heaven, please guide me past the grief. It has been two months since you took back Hannah and our child with you. I ask that you give me a sign. I miss the village and the convent, but I don't know when to stop mourning. I ask that you give me a sign, please."_

 _Another glance at the sky to whisper amen and his wonder and sadness at the sunset turned to confusion and alarm. A white light was forming in the air and he had no idea what it was. Was this perhaps a sign of God? He took a step forward to glance at it more analytically and jumped in surprise when a white metallic pod came rushing out. He dove to ground and heard the loud noise similar to a plane fly above him. The ground shook as the pod landed into the thicket of trees, knocking several down before it finally stopped. Roberto looked at the pod in fear, not knowing what to expect, what if it was a threat? What if it was a bomb to signal a war? He looked at it though and saw the wings, showing that it was a ship and not bomb. Roberto felt his fear die down and curiosity win over. He looked around to see if he was alone and mentally called himself stupid for thinking that. Of course he was alone. Sperare was a good twenty miles away and there wasn't another city around for hundreds of miles. Sperare was the most isolated city in Italy._

 _Roberto dug into his courage and moved towards the pod, deciding to investigate just what nearly killed him. He walked around to see that the ship was badly damaged and wouldn't be capable of flying anytime soon. He walked around some more to see that front was broken wide open. He looked inside and gasped to see an egg, not damaged at all from the crash. Calling it a miracle, Roberto carefully stepped inside the ship and laid a hand on the egg. It was warm. He looked around to see heaters in every direction, which probably kept the egg warm. The heaters sputtered however and Roberto was soon alarmed as he realized that the egg will die if not kept warm. Dashing outside the pod, he quickly grabbed his axe and began to chop down pieces of wood from the fallen trees, invigorated in his quest to save the mysterious egg._

 _After chopping away decent pieces and placing them in the fireplace to heat up his small cottage, Roberto made his way to the egg and removed his coat. The egg was still warm but he can feel the warmth fade away. He wrapped his coat around the egg and carried it gently, surprised at its weight and height. He placed the egg on a nest of blankets and cushions, a good distance away from the fireplace but close enough to give warmth. He looked outside and decided to worry about the clean-up later. He sat next to the egg and wondered what type of creature would emerge from it. He place his hand on it and gave a choked gasp as he felt a kick inside. He chuckled and said,"Little one, whoever or whatever you may be, I promise to keep you safe."_

 _He laid down next to the egg and closed his eyes. This was truly an eventful night indeed. Roberto woke up the next morning and groaned at his protesting back. He should have dragged the mattress outside, but there's no use crying over spilt milk now. He stretched and glanced at the still glowing fire in the fireplace. He glanced down at the egg and placed his hand over it again. It was warm and he smiled as he felt movement inside of it. He got up and went outside, intent on working out on clearing away the trees. The ship was still there and the trees were hazardously strewn about. Deciding to call on the village for help, he went inside to telephone the church. As he passed by the egg, a crack filled the air. He looked at the egg in surprise to see a long crack line forming._

 _He stood still and watched the egg. After what felt like an hour, it moved and another crack was formed. Excitedly, he moved to the side of the egg to watch as it moved around before a piece of shell finally came off. He looked inside to see grey wings. What type of bird though had those kind of wings? The egg moved and another piece cracked open, this time, a stubby little arm was waving around… a human arm. Roberto gasped and reached out, carefully breaking a bigger piece off and gasped as a red-haired little child gave a cry as she breathed in her first set of air. Roberto quickly removed the pieces and picked the small girl up, taking care not to harm her little wings. It took about a few seconds for it to register in his mind, but it finally hit him. He was carrying a baby angel in his hands. The need to get on his knees and pray to God for the miracle hit him, but he realized that he needed to first clean up the mess outside the house. After bundling up the little angel, he went outside and investigated the ship. Inside, he found a strange helmet, a royal purple blanket, and a glowing piece of raw metal. He carried the items into his cottage where the angel was sleeping and went back outside. He investigated the ship more and looked a the panels. Deciding that hitting a button would be a good idea, Roberto heard a strange language being spoken inside the ship and dove outside. He was lucky to have had the quick reflexes as the ship suddenly disintegrated before his eyes along with the fallen trees that have been touching it. He gave a sigh of relief and prayed his thanks to God._

 _Walking inside, the baby was whimpering and realizing that he had no milk to feed the baby he decided to return to the village. Creating a little bed for the child was easy, putting it inside his truck though was the difficult part. He grunted as the bed nearly fell of the seat and added more ropes and wrapped the seatbelt around it to provide a better stable stirrup. The drive to the village took about an hour, an hour in which the child began to whimper and give little cries, signalling that she was hungry. When he spotted the village he rolled down his window and cried out after spotting a few children outside the walls, "Sergio! Anthony! Bianca!"_

 _The children turned from their game and gave cries of delight to see their favorite priest returning to the village. They ran inside the walls of the city and began to cry out, "Father Roberto has returned!" The small village was suddenly awakened and everybody walked out of their houses, greeting their returning priest. Sperare was a city with less than one hundred inhabitants and it stood for over thousands of years, pre-dating the Renaissance. Many of the inhabitants were either descendents or people who wanted to live in the countryside, far away from the cities and the hustle and bustle life of urban living._

 _Roberto drove his truck in the narrow streets and entered the driveway of the church. The whole village had gathered to greet their returning priest. Roberto greeted the other Fathers of the church and the Mother Superior with the other sisters. Roberto greeted Sperare's inhabitants with a smile, talking with the village elders, passing jokes with the children, but he quietly asked for one of the young mothers for a bottle of milk. When she returned, Roberto surprised the whole village by taking out a baby wrapped in a royal purple blanket and feeding the child the bottle. The whole village erupted in questions, wanting to know where he found the child._

 _Signalling to his fellow convent to join the crowd, Roberto spoke, "My dear family, I have spent months isolated in the woods, trying to move past the grief. I have neglected my duties as priest and I am ashamed to have left you all for too long. Last night, I prayed to our Father in heaven to give me a sign to move past my grief and return to you all. He sent me an incredible sign and an incredible miracle. A child fell from the heavens and entered our lives. She has been sent by God to be a part of our lives."_

" _Father Roberto, how do you know though?" asked a child.  
_ " _I know, because of this." said Roberto, removing the blanket that was covering the baby's wings. The village gasped as they watched the baby flap her wings in protest against the chilly morning air. Roberto quickly wrapped her up and was immediately bombarded with questions, requests to carry the child, and even requests to help raise the child. It took all day to arrange the whole deal. After conversing with the village elders, the convent, and some of the youth leaders, it was decided to have the Sperare church be the home to the angel and Don Octavio with his wife will be the village elders chosen to take care of the child should the convent be unavailable to care for the angel. Father Roberto and Mother Superior Frida were to care for the girl inside the church._

 _The village took to caring for the child with vigor. With a new purpose in their lives and a new member of the village, they were excited and honored to care for the baby angel. Father Roberto glanced down at the sleeping angel in his arms and smiled softly. His family may have returned to heaven soon, but the Lord was gracious enough to chose him to raise the angel._

Present Day

The battles against Morgana le Fey were getting exponentially harder to win as time passed. Aided by Darkseid's Horsemen, Morgana was wreaking havoc all around the globe and was getting stronger by the day. Receiving help from Fate, Zatanna, or even Constantine was difficult as they were involved in another magical war concerning the rest of Earth's villainous sorcerers and sorceresses. The original six members of the Justice League were currently trying to protect the White House and allow the President be escorted out by Amanda Waller and her agents of ARGUS. Superman quickly managed to throw a semi in the way of Klarion's curse and it blew to pieces. Superman quickly dodged Klarion's curses while the others worked to stop his golems from even reaching the Presidential lawn.

"Batman, we've secured the President." said Amanda Waller. It was a rocky relationship between Amanda and Batman in the beginning, but they've managed to work well together as time passed and the magical threat grew immensely. The original six members of the Justice League-Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, J'onn J'onzz, Flash, and the Green Lantern-had joined together two years ago in order to fight against the alien invasion that nearly wiped out the Earth. Since then, the Justice League was founded and they helped preserve justice all around the globe. There were moments though were they came close to being destroyed. The time they had fought against Cthulhu was probably the most intense battle they ever had. They battled a god and had won, but Solomon Grundy's sacrifice was what helped them win in the end. There were even times when they were performing off world missions that made them question if they were even making a difference. Such as when Superman and J'onn had been transported to War World and were too late to save Draga's homeworld. Superman was almost inconsolable, allowing the guilt to consume him had it not been for Batman and Diana to offer a helping hand. The Justice League had originally held six members, but they grew in size just last year.

After nearly being invaded by the Daxamites, a distant cousin to the Kryptonian race, and Superman's hesitation to pick a side had proved to be nearly fatal to Earth. Superman made the decision to expand the League and it brought in members from all around the globe. From Red Tornado, B'wana Beast, Black Canary, the Vibe, and more the League has grown to be a global response team. This new threat however is proving to be more than they had thought they could handle.

Fate, Zatanna, and Constantine had been called away to fight in a much bigger war and couldn't offer any assistance. Heroes such as Phantom Stranger and Spectre were proving difficult to persuade and help them fight. Lady Luck has also proven to be disinterested in joining the League and instead using her powers of probability manipulation to protect her city in Pennsylvania, ignoring the world. Batman had at first refused to allow Nightwing and Batgirl to join the League but after the magical crisis began to escalate then he allowed them to join. Red Robin, Black Bat, and Bluebird remained in Gotham, protecting the city against the Rogues.

"Superman!" cried out the voice of Black Canary. After getting pregnant, Canary remained in the Monitor Room to help guide heroes on where to go next.

"What is it, Dinah?" asked Superman as he froze the golems in their path and allowed Batman to throw his batarangs at the frozen creatures.

"There… well… you might not believe this but I've been looking into the locations of global distress signals and I've sent Ollie and Victor to help guide refugees in Germany to Italy and I've noticed that of all the attacks happening in Europe, Italy has been spared from being a target." said Dinah.

"What?" asked Diana, as she pressed a finger to her ear in order to hear correctly.

"Italy is immune to the magical attacks. It's like Italy has a forcefield around the whole country."

"Do you know why?"

"As far as I can tell, I can't see nothing. There isn't anything in or around Italy to suggest otherwise."

"Try to pinpoint a possible source, Canary," said Batman, "We're on our way."

The attacks ceased around the world by midnight Western Pacific time. The Justice League was exhausted but they still had responsibilities to uphold. As the founding six members stood around the Conference table, reserved only for the founders, Dinah stood in front of them ready to report.

"The Italian Government refuses to cooperate and explain why Italy was spared from the assaults." reported Dinah.

"What are they hiding?" asked Batman, already thinking of reasons why they wouldn't want to cooperate.  
"They said it was with agreements to the Church and the Pope, meaning if we wanted to try and pry information out of them it would be sacrilegious on our part." said Dinah.

"We need to set up a meeting then with the Vatican if this regards to religious matters." said Superman.

"I've tried but they say to call again in a week before they can give us an answer." said Dinah, grimacing as she rubbed her swollen belly. Flash, noticing her discomfort, said,"Thanks Dinah. Go take a break. You definitely earned it after today."

When it was just the six of them, they all agreed to give the Vatican a week to respond. Batman, Superman, and Diana volunteered to be the ambassadors for the League and they hoped that there wouldn't be anymore magical threats until then.

 _ **Hey readers, so this story was in my head for a while like all other stories and I actually have Historyman 14 to thank for helping me co-write this :) Woot woot! Hope you liked the story guys and if I am wrongly portraying the Italian Catholic background I am sorry. Please leave reviews so I can know if you liked this story.**_


	2. The Angel of Rome

_**The Angel of Rome**_

 _21 years ago_

 _Roberto woke up and sighed as another day started. The last two years have been the most content and blessed years since his wife passing away. He got up from bed and moved to begin his day. He walked past his daughter's room, peeking inside and chuckling softly as he heard her snore lightly in her small bed. He walked outside and began his priestly duties, greeting early morning prayers, passing conversations with people, listening to problems and offering advice. It was a quaint life and Sperare lived in peace. By the afternoon, Roberto walked past the school in the church and made his way to the daycare. There have been few babies born in the last two years so the nun in charge, Sister Claudia, wasn't overwhelmed. Roberto walked inside the daycare and smiled as he saw his little angel happily flap her wings as Sister Claudia handed her a sippy cup._

" _Father Roberto," greeted Sister Claudia, spotting the smiling priest in the doorway._

" _Sister Claudia," greeted Roberto, walking inside. Many of the toddlers ignored Roberto but his little angel turned at his voice and quickly stood up, walking her way towards him. He knelt down and playfully raised her high above his head where she happily flapped her wings._

" _What brings you to the daycare?" asked Claudia as she knelt down to carry a sleepy toddler._

" _I wanted to check on this little angel, today." said Roberto. Claudia smiled and asked, "You know, much of the sisters and I have wondered if you are ever going to name her."_

" _I have come up with many names, even calling her Angelica but it never seems to fit her." said Roberto as the angel snuggled up in his chest, still holding her sippy cup._

" _It will come to you in time," reassured Claudia as she went about putting the toddlers to sleep in their mats. Roberto sat down in an open seat and felt the angel snuggle up further in his arms, already falling asleep. He smiled warmly and carried her to her own mat. He left the daycare and went back to his office, wanting to get some reading done for the day. As he walked inside, a box caught his attention. It was placed in the middle shelf of his bookcase and was covered in a white sheet. Inside the box contained the strange helmet that came with the angel the day she arrived in his life. He had been tempted to put it on several times, but he always resisted for some reason._

 _Deciding that he was being superstitious, he made his way to the box and opened it. He took the helmet and stared at it with trepidation, his heart racing. He took a deep breath and placed the helmet on, feeling a sharp pain enter his head and then blackness overtook his sight as unconsciousness set in._

 _Sister Claudia was quietly enjoying the serenity when she heard quiet footsteps. She looked around to find one mat empty. She looked towards the door to see the little angel attempting to push the door open. Curious behavior for a child, but Sister Claudia moved to pick her up when she began to whimper an attempt to open the door with more vigor. Sister Claudia picked her up and opened the door, wanting to see what she he angel will do. She leaned forward and flapped her wings as though she wanted to fly forward. Claudia walked forward and the angel then leaned right, wanting to go down the hallway. Sister Claudia quickly called in a passing nun to watch the sleeping toddlers and she walked down the hallway. The little angel soon began to fuss and flapped her wings harder, urging Claudia to speed walk. They stopped in front of the office door of Father Roberto._

 _Claudia noticed the way the angel trembled in her arms and she cautiously opened the door, letting a small gasp and a "Dear Lord" as she saw the unconscious form of Father Roberto on the ground. She quickly shouted for help and the other Fathers in the convent quickly transferred Roberto to the medical wing. Removing the glowing helmet proved hazardous as it emitted electrical shocks to anybody attempting to remove the helmet. The little angel whimpered in Sister Claudia's arms as the night passed. She refused to sleep unless in the same room as Roberto and Sister Claudia had volunteered to care for the angel while Mother Superior Frida took care of the children._

 _When morning came, the helmet stopped glowing and Father Roberto had snapped up from the bed in a perfect 90 degree angle, startling Claudia and the angel awake. Roberto looked confused in his surroundings until he spotted Sister Claudia who said,"Oh! Oh Father Roberto you gave us such a scare! How are you feeling?"_

" _My head… I… know so much." he said quietly, staring at his hands._

" _What do you know? Was the helmet a relic?" asked Sister Claudia, wondering what knowledge he had obtained._

" _So much… hand me Shayera." he said reaching his hands out._

" _Shayera?"_

" _The angel. Her parents named her that before the demons attempted to eradicate the world of angels." said Roberto as Claudia handed him the sleepy toddler. Shayera looked at Roberto with her emerald eyes, eyes he knew that her father once held. He gently hugged the child and said, "You poor child."_

 _Roberto told the convent all about the war between the angels and the demons, where the demons had promised to leave the angels in peace but to turn their back and attempted to annihilate the whole race. Shayera's parents had given their daughter a chance to live and a chance to help the world. Roberto used his newfound knowledge of Thanagarian technology to improve the village. The village was amazed at the accomplishments he was making and called it a blessing from God._

 _Solar energy, purified filters in the river, wind turbines, so many modern advancements that would have cost the village millions helped improve the life in their daily life. Roberto, with several volunteers, created an irrigation system that redirected the river's route to their farmland, where water became easily accessible to the farmers. The village thrived in their new lifestyle and two more years would pass by when rumors began to circulate all the way to Rome about an angel child being spotted saving the life of another child who nearly fell and drowned in the river._

Present Day

A week had passed and the Vatican finally sent a letter to the League, explaining that they were experimenting with several new shields that was meant to protect the country from invasions. It would have been a good enough excuse, had it not been for the fact that Batman was a paranoid hero. He investigated further into the Vatican, not caring that he wasn't respecting the privacy of the Church and discovered blueprints written in a foreign language not of Earth. He had at first attempted to go solo on his mission but after getting cut off by J'onn, he agreed that a better plan was needed. Superman called in for a meeting with the Pope and was granted an audience.

Now here they were, in the Javelin on their way to Rome. Superman honestly couldn't think of a more awkward mission than right now. Nevermind Bruce's agnostic views on life or Diana's dedication in the Greek deities, but Superman felt a little strange to be the only one of the trio to be a part of the Judeo-Christian lifestyle. While having the ability to travel around the world at anytime without any strain on himself, Clark would have admitted that he was a little nervous of meeting the Pope but it was already awkward enough in the cabin so he settled for the silence. His mother had actually fretted over him last night, offering up advice on how to talk with the Pope. They weren't Catholic but to meet the Holy Man of Rome made his mother fret.

Superman smiled at the memory and heard Bruce say, "We're here."

They landed the Javelin in the Colosseum, where many people had gathered in the ancient stadium and greeted the trio of heroes with cheers. They walked out of their ship and greeted their dignitary, Cardinal Horatio. It didn't slip past Clark the stern look on the Cardinal's face. He either didn't want to be the one to greet the heroes or he just didn't want the heroes here in the first place. Superman kept his face cool though and walked forward, greeting the Cardinal.

"Thank you for granting us an audience, with the Pope." said Superman. Cardinal Horatio merely raised an eyebrow and said with a thick Italian accent, "When His Holiness received word that the great Man of Steel wished to meet with him, how could he possibly refuse?"

The awkwardness returned but thankfully the majority of the people didn't notice, too excited to see Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in the same arena at the same time. The heroes followed the Cardinal to an escort vehicle where they all piled in. Clark almost had to laugh at the looks of discomfort that was in everyone's faces. This had to be the most uncomfortable and most awkward mission ever. Clark hoped that whatever they could find in the Vatican could be used to help the rest of the world and they can all move past this mission forever. The arrival at the Vatican was quiet compared to the Colosseum. The guards kept the crowd outside and the Big Three felt a little relaxed at least by the peacefulness that surrounded the courtyard.

"Greetings, heroes of the world," called out an elderly voice. They turned to see the Pope himself walking down the stairs, escorted by his Swiss Guards. Each soldier had an automatic rifle with a red LED glowing from the side. The Pope though was a cheery sight despite the grim looks the soldiers were giving the heroes. They were escorted inside where they shook hands with many Bishops, Archbishops, and Cardinals. It was tiring to say the least, but proper decorum asked for it. They were escorted into the dining room where they sat down and ate a glorious dinner. They conversed on matters regarding the world, the Pope's reforms across the globes and his speeches, the Justice League's efforts to protect the world, and simple matters such as favorite hobbies, books, music. It was a pleasant night and Clark was almost disappointed when the Pope was called to perform his other duties.

"Your holiness," interjected Batman, "We wanted to discuss the reasons why the magical attacks have been attacking everywhere else in the world except in this country."

The Pope turned to Cardinal Horatio who kept a thin mouth line, expressing his dislike at the hero's request.

"Cardinal Horatio will give you the 'rundown' as you Americans will say," said the Pope, chuckling along with Superman. The Pope left to perform his duties and Superman turned to see Cardinal Horatio and Batman having a glare down. Diana at least found the humor in the situation as well to see that Batman had a contestant for who had the most intimidating glare.

"Lead the way, Cardinal." said Superman, not wanting Bruce to cause a global scandal if he loses to the Cardinal.

"Follow me." They were led deep into the basement where files were kept. Cardinal Horatio, in all his bitterness, opened up a drawer and took out a few plans.

"These are the blueprints that constructed the shield generators. We have about fifty-two generators scattered along the border. Follow the plans, and your country will be safe." said Horatio.

"Would it be alright then if we stayed here and examined the blueprints? Alone?" asked Diana. The Cardinal scoffed and said, "Don't look at anything else you're not permitted to look at."

With that, Cardinal Horatio left, leaving the three heroes mystified. The trio looked over the blueprints for the shield generators, marveling at the advancement of technology that was made in it.

"There's a key missing for it." said Batman, noticing the one missing piece they didn't have.

"What is it?" asked Diana.

"A conductor. It's nothing that's available on Earth and I'm not familiar with it." said Batman, examining the missing element.

"What conductor?" asked Superman.

"It's to keep the energy stabilized in the shields so it doesn't create a bomb. Replacing the conductor with other elements will create a bomb equivalent to an atomic blast. They're hiding it." said Bruce. Just as he said this, the wall beside them slid open, revealing a hidden passageway. They kept silent as they watched an elderly Bishop humming as he walked out, smoothing down his robe. He looked up and froze, realizing that he was not alone.

"We mean you no harm," said Superman, but the Bishop immediately turned and fled down the passageway. Superman shouldn't have hesitated in his decision when Diana leapt into action, following the Bishop and Batman followed after her. Superman sighed and followed after them, deciding that he will intervene when necessary. The Bishop ran through the catacombs, giving the heroes no time to admire the ancient architecture and the names of famous saints. When the Bishop reached a dead end, he turned and began to angrily shout in Italian.

"Please, Father, you must help us," said Superman, trying to reason with the red-faced Bishop, "the world is in jeopardy and your country is the only country to provide relief. Whatever you have, please you must htink of the greater good."

The Bishop was breathing hard as he looked at Superman. Superman for his part felt like he was being X-Rayed by the Bishop's ice blue eyes. His mouth turned into a grim line and he said in clear english, "You have no jurisdiction to be here. I will be punished by the Cardinal if I let you in without permission."

"Father," said Diana, feeling a little out of place calling the Bishop that title, "The World is in danger."

"Danger? What danger?" asked the Bishop, looking at them confused.

"The world is being attacked by magical criminals. The only place of refuge people can go to is here in Italy. We need you to help us. The whole world could potentially fall." said Batman. The Cardinal muttered a curse under his breath. He knew he shouldn't have trusted Cardinal Horatio regarding the world news. If the world was in peril then he must help. It's the right thing to do.

"Follow me," said the Bishop. Expecting to walk away from the dead end, they were surprised to see him turn to the wall and lift a hatch. Superman realized that it was a lead covering, explaining why his x-ray vision couldn't see past the wall. The Bishop pressed a button and the walls slid open, revealing a hidden hallway. He led the heroes down the hallway and stopped in front of the door. He took out a key and opened the door, allowing the heroes to walk in first.

They did not expect to find a living room inside. A small kitchen was in the corner and a kettle was slowly heating up on the stove. The Bishop sighed and called out, "Shayera?"

"Padre , sei già tornato? Hai dimenticato qualcosa?" said voice. Batman was startled to see a woman emerge from a room with large, beautiful, grey wings. An angel. The woman had emerged from the room with a smile but it slipped when she noticed that her father was not alone.

"Figlia , queste persone hanno bisogno del nostro aiuto." responded the Bishop, extending his hand out to the woman. She took it and sat down beside him.

"Who are you?" asked Diana, stunned to see the woman.

"Who are you?" asked the woman, nervous at seeing strangers. It has been so long since she last saw anyone new and to be caught off guard like this was troubling.

"I am Diana of Themyscira, this is Batman and Superman." said Diana, hoping that the woman wouldn't feel too frightened at their presence.  
"Who?" asked the woman. The trio were actually surprised that this woman hadn't heard of them. The Bishop looked at his daughter and said, "They have something to tell us."

 _ **Yo what's up readers? Midterms is upon me so wish me luck. I used google translate for the Italian words. So… like or dislike? Leave a review :) Thanks :)**_


	3. Learning to Fly

_19 Years Ago_

 _Rodrigo looked at Shayera as she cautiously flapped her wings while she sat on the tree branch. It had come to the attention of Father Rodrigo that little Shayera had yet to learn how to fly. By the knowledge given to him by the Absorbascon, Shayera was now four years old which meant that she should have learned how to glide at least. The day they celebrated her birthday (or hatchday as Rodrigo likes to say), Rodrigo helped little Shayera learn how to flap her wings properly. Rodrigo and a couple of the other elders in the village took the time to study the birds that flew in and out of Sperare in order to understand fully how a bird was able to fly._

 _Shayera managed to glide at certain distances but now Rodrigo hopes that today will be the day that she learns how to fly properly. Shayera had spent many hours of the day just staring up at the sky and Rodrigo knew that she dreamt about flying high above the clouds, despite her protests. He knew his adopted daughter well and proceeded to help her learn to fly. Shayera was comfortable with gliding and he knew that eventually she will also be comfortable with flying, she just needed to conquer her fear of falling._

" _Just jump, mi cara figlia. I promise I will catch you." he reassured her when he spotted her hesitant face peeking over the branch. He had taken her to the mountains where several trees grew into a grove around an area to form a meadow. There was a river nearby that was often visited by random people, but Roberto only spotted a small group of students from another village playing from a distance away, climbing and jumping off the rocks into the running river. They were well enough away that they wouldn't spot Shayera. It provided some privacy and it was far enough away from civilization. The whole Sperare community agreed that Shayera had to be kept a secret from outsiders, as they didn't know who to trust with this type of delicate information. If word had gotten around that an angel existed to the world, then who knows what might happen to Shayera or to the village._

" _What if I go too far? You won't be able to catch me!" she protested._

" _I promise you, I will run over broken glass just to catch you." promised Roberto._

 _Watching the determination set in her eyes, she shakily stood on her feet on the branch and spread her wings. As she was growing older, her wings were also growing to extraordinary lengths. They had to replace her bed with an adult bed in order for her to sleep comfortably at night. Shayera took a deep breath and jumped off the branch, feeling the air in her wings. As though some deep buried instinct awoke within her, Shayera instinctively flapped her wings and began to soar up above. She did it again and again until she was at a good height and she began to glide. Looking down, Shayera was exhilarated to see her father look like a small ant, waving at her and laughing in jubilee. Shayera experimentally turned her wing down and found herself gliding down gracefully. She aimed herself to fly towards her father and flapped a little to gain some speed._

 _Rodrigo opened his arms when he saw her fly towards him. With a grunt and skidding back a few steps, he caught her and gave her a large hug. They both laughed at her success and he said, "Wait till the village sees you. You will be flying high above the clouds by next year."_

" _Do you think so?" she asked, excited at the news._

" _Think so? I know so! You'll be flying so high that you will reach the heavens!" said Roberto._

" _Will I see my people there?" asked Shayera. Roberto glanced down at her in his arms and said, "They will welcome you with open arms the way I did."_

 _Shayera snuggled deeper in her father's arms and sighed contently. Roberto deemed Shayera was old enough to know about the battles between her people and the demons that had tried to destroy her race. Shayera had been quiet for a day but she quickly recovered, telling her father, who had tears in his eyes, "I thank the Lord then that he has chosen you to be my new father."_

 _As they made their way to their truck to return to the village, a cry was heard from a distance. Roberto recognized that it came in the direction of where the students were playing and he quickly put Shayera in her car seat and ran to the driver's seat. He drove to the location of where he last saw the students and saw to his horror, one of them clinging on the edge of a particularly high jutted rock. If the student fell, then he will fall on the hard ground instead of the river, killing him for sure. Roberto turned to his daughter and said, "Wait here."_

 _Running out of his truck, Roberto quickly made his way over to where the jutted rock formation started, intending to climb up and pull the student. Yelling at him to hold on, Roberto gripped the edges and began his climb. He huffed as he put every single strain into his muscles, cursing himself for not keeping into shape as he once did in his youth. Roberto was gasping by the time he managed to climb up the rock but he quickly recovered and tried to run towards the student, but arrived too late. He was close enough to see the fingers slip over the edge and he cried out, "NO!"_

 _He ran and looked over the edge, seeing the horrified face of the student as he realized that he will greet the ground soon when a blur of grey feathers was seen. Roberto watched, stunned and in fear, as Shayera gripped the student's hands with her own and glided him to safety on the ground. The student, along with his friends, looked at Shayera with wonderment in their eyes. Roberto quickly made his way down to where the students and his daughter were and was immediately met with Shayera, easily flying now into his arms. The students ran up to Roberto, asking questions and wanting to know if God had sent her to save their doomed friend._

 _Roberto quickly made up an obscure excuse and made a hasty retreat, leaving behind confused students as to whether or not they had really seen an angel. Roberto took no time to strap Shayera back into her car seat and instead left her on his lap as he quickly drove away. Shayera was unnaturally silent when she would be asking questions about the most obscure things. When they were a good distance away from the mountains, Roberto parked the truck on the side of the road and glanced down at Shayera. She was looking away from him and was fiddling with her hands. He knew that posture very well. Whenever Shayera was guilty of something, she goes into a quiet mode. The last time she was this quiet, she had stolen a pastry from the kitchen but was immediately consumed with guilt that she returned the pastry and was quiet throughout the whole day until she tearfully confessed to Mother Superior Frida about her crime. It really amused the convent at how quick she was to confess to her crime and attempted to fix her mistake._

" _Shayera?" Roberto said. She still wouldn't look at him so he gently tipped her head up until she looked at him, "Shayera are you alright?"  
_ " _I'm sorry." she cried out, tears running down her, "You told me to stay but I didn't. I didn't want to see him fall, though. I'm sorry."_

 _Roberto sighed and hugged her reassuringly as he said, "You want to know something? I'm glad you didn't listen to me."_

" _What?" asked Shayera, confused at his confession.  
_ " _If you listened, then the boy would have died for sure today. You saved a life today, be happy that you had prevented death from claiming such a young life." said Roberto. Shayera still sniffled but was comforted at the knowledge that her father wasn't angry with her and had forgiven her. The drive back to the village was back to normal as Shayera went back to asking questions, such as why the rocks were formed so strangely by the river or why the river ran so fast when the river ran so quietly by Sperare. They happily resumed their routine in their lives and decided to overlook the incident. Without any proof, what's one story going to do?_

 _Outside of Sperare, the students had informed their parents about the angel that saved the boy's life. The strength she showed and the gracefulness was often exaggerated, but the rumors spread. People began to tell stories in the village and they would tell relatives outside of their villages the story. By the time the story reached Rome, many villages were on the lookout for a sign of the child angel. While skeptical at first, the Vatican didn't believe the rumors to be true until the day came two years later when one of the students who had been at the river presented them with photographic evidence of the angel existing. Deciding to keep it a secret, they investigated the picture to be sure it wasn't tampered with and when they realized that it was real, they launched an investigation on the village of Sperare._

Present Day

"What trouble?" demanded Shayera. She was on edge. These strange people probably didn't have permission to be here, as Cardinal Horatio was not present with them, but her father had said that they had news of trouble.

"There are magical attacks being made all around the world and it is only here in Italy that the attacks are not being made. We want anyone with the knowledge to help us." said the man in black, Batman.

"Then ask for Cardinal Horatio's help or His Holiness." said Shayera, confused as to why she would be of any use to them.

"We have, but he refuses. His holiness is busy at the moment and the Cardinal has only given us blueprints but no real help," said Superman, cautiously approaching the sitting angel and the Archbishop and showing them the blueprints he had in good mind to carry before giving chase. The Archbishop took the blueprints and frowned over them, he spoke in Italian to Shayera and left in the other room. When the door closed, Superman was almost amused at the return of the awkwardness although it wasn't as severe as when Cardinal Horatio was with them. Shayera looked at them warily, but wasn't hostile or confrontive at least.

"Do you live down here?" asked Diana, looking around the small apartment. Shayera glanced around at her home, feeling very self-conscious. She said quietly, "Yes, I live here for most of the year before I go back home for the summer."

"Where do you live?" asked Superman. She wrung her hands worriedly, wondering how much to reveal. Normally Cardinal Horatio would be present when new guests were brought into her underground home.

"I… I live in Sperare." she said, hoping they would stop asking questions.

"Sperare? It sounds nice," said Superman, noticing her nervous state and wanting to help her feel more relaxed he sat down on the floor in an attempt to make himself look smaller. Diana and Bruce found it almost odd to see the great Man of Steel look like a small child as he looked at Shayera expectantly. It seemed to work as Shayera looked less anxious.

"Sperare is a village where I grew up. My father found me in the mountains and raised me there." explained Shayera.

"Your father found you?" asked Superman, hearing the beginnings of a familiar tale.

"He found me when I was just an egg," said Shayera.

"An egg?"

"I know," said Shayera, blushing, "It's weird."

"Who are your parents?" asked Superman, curious. This woman had such a similar story to his that he wonders…

"They were… Thanagarians? I think that was the name." said Shayera, it has been so long since she last thought of her lost people.

"You're from off-world?" asked Batman, speaking up for the first time.

"Yes, my world was eradicated by demons." said Shayera.

"Demons?"  
"The helmet didn't say the name, just that my people were once at war with them but they didn't hold to the treaty." explained Shayera.

"They didn't hold to the treaty? That means you're…" said Diana, not wanting to say the last word. Alone was a simple yet very heavy word.

"Yes," confirmed Shayera, "I am the last of my people."

She looked at the floor, deep in thought. She often avoided thinking about it as she was very content with her life with her father and Sperare. Superman though was thinking about how the woman was lucky to have been found by her father the same way he was lucky to have been found by his own parents. Batman though was thinking about many possible scenarios in which this woman was not to be trusted. He would like to believe that she was nice, but she was probably taking advantage of her appearance in order to receive special attention. He needed to investigate more in her background before he decided if she was trustworthy. Diana pitied the woman. She was very similar to Superman in a way that she was adopted into a world that was not her own and lived her life trying to be human.

Whatever Diana wanted to ask Shayera was delayed when the Archbishop returned with another set of papers. He handed them to Superman and said, "You will have to ask His Holiness about the Nth property."

"Nth?" asked Batman.

"The metal that came with Shayera when I found her." explained Rodrigo.

"Why would we have to ask the Pope for the metal?" asked Diana.

"It is a very complicated story." said Rodrigo.

"We have time, father. Please, tell us why you and your daughter are living here?" asked Superman.

 _ **Hey readers, Chapter 3 yay! Like? No Like? Review? :) Thanks for reading :)**_


	4. Spreading your Wings

_Joining the World_

 _16 Year Ago_

 _Shayera was gliding above the clouds and enjoyed the feeling of the night air on her wings. As she grew older, Shayera could no longer spend her flying sessions outside in the daytime. Her wings were growing to an impressive length which made it almost difficult to hide her wings in the daytime. Shayera managed to convince her father to allow her to fly in the night where she can hide in the night sky and land in the shade of the convent. despite the advancement of Thanagarian technology in the city, Sperare turned off almost all lights in order see the stars better and in order to hide Shayera better._

 _Shayera dreamed of a day when she will one day get to see the rest of the world. Egypt was one of the first countries she wanted to visit after reading along the Old Testament with the other children. She had seen the World Atlas her father keeps in his study and was fascinated by the pictures of tombs and the Nile. She wanted to fly but thoughts of leaving behind her home made her feel a sense of homesickness that was so great that she often had nightmares about Sperare disappearing and leaving her behind. Shayera was seven years old now and in her mind, she should be capable of making grown up decisions._

 _Shayera glided down and saw the familiar building of the convent loom in the shadows. She landed with ease outside in the alley and quietly opened the backdoor, wanting to give her father a goodnight hug before going to sleep. She was surprised though when she noticed light in one of the classrooms on. She walked towards it and quietly knocked, hearing Mother Superior Frida call her inside. Shayera walked in hesitantly to see Mother Frida sitting at the teacher's desk and looking over an album. Curious, Shayera walked over to her and asked, "Why are you up so late?"  
_ " _Just looking through the old classroom yearbooks, my little angel," said Mother Frida, "I remember when your father first brought you here, we debated whether we should allow you to join with the other children or not."_

" _Why wouldn't you?" asked Shayera, "I wouldn't have met Sarah and Naomi if I didn't"_

" _That's right, but we were so afraid that the other children might not like to have you around or that you wouldn't want to be around the other children," explained Mother Frida, "we were so happy though to see you get along so well with the children."  
Shayera looked over at the yearbook to see pictures of many children that were now older. She recognizes Jaime Alvante who is now Sperare's resident welder. He was her age and was carrying a futbol under his arms while he posed for the picture with other children that are now residents in Sperare. The same residents that have been living in Sperare for years it seems._

" _Do people ever leave, Sperare?" asked Shayera._

" _Some do, child," said Mother Frida, "Others find their own homes outside of Sperare."  
_ " _Will I always be here?" asked Shayera._

" _That is up to God and to you child," said Mother Frida as she stood up from her chair and picked Shayera up. Shayera snuggled into Mother Frida's arms and wrapped her wings around Mother Frida, "You make your own path, child and you pray to God to guide you on your way."  
_ " _I want to go to Egypt, like Moses." said Shayera. Mother Frida laughed and said, "Perhaps not in the same circumstances as Moses, but Egypt is beautiful place to visit."_

" _I don't want to leave though, I just want to visit and come back." explained Shayera. Mother Frida smiled at her and said, "We will always be here, Shayera. Wherever you go, Sperare will always welcome you back with open arms."_

 _Mother Frida walked into Shayera's room and tucked the little angel in. Sperare has changed very little since Shayera began to live in the village, but the people loved Shayera and Shayera loved the people. She would always find ways to make people smile and people would always find time to spend with her. Shayera and the children would always be found outside the city walls playing, but the next year is when everything changed._

Present Day

Shayera and her father gave the three heroes the short summary of Shayera's life on Earth. Superman in particular listened with rapt attention, finding similarities of his own life with this woman's life. Both lost their homeworlds and their people but while Clark had Kara, it seemed that this woman might actually be the last of her kind. Superman felt enormous empathy for this woman but Diana and Bruce were apprehensive at best. At first Diana and Bruce were sympathetic to her but she refused to answer many questions and avoided looking at them. It was enough cause for suspicion and Bruce intended to find answers with or without her consent.

Shayera in her part was curious. She had never heard of others who were like her. Her father seemed to know but he only knew basic information. He was just as secluded from the world as she was. Spending the majority of their years deep underground in the Vatican didn't exactly give them a good access to current events. Much of what was happening in the news was given to them by Cardinal Horatio and it seemed that they were given a very heavily edited version of the current events. The Batman character showed them the news in his tablet. It was interesting and also nerve-wrecking to see these news. So many tragedies and horrors that have been unleashed on the people. Shayera wondered if she could have even made a difference if she was allowed to be out in the world.

It had been agreed upon her discovery that she was to be hidden from the world, away from the worldly influences and to be safe from anybody who wanted to use her appearance and her power.

"Shayera? We need your help." said Superman. He could feel it in his gut that she was the answer they were looking for regarding Darkseid's Horsemen. The magical demons were very difficult to deal with and with most of the magical members of the Justice League fighting in another war to stop the imbalance from spreading onto their world, they were very hard-pressed. Bruce though was once again mentally scolding Superman for jumping into the decision making without talking with the himself and the others. He knew Superman had a tendency to do that and it was irking to see it play out again.

"My help? I don't even know if I can make a difference," said Shayera as she got up from her seated position and began to pace, a habit she picked up from her father, "I've been in here for most of my life since the Vatican found me."

"You said though that you have been trained by the Swiss Guard in hand to hand combat and weapon handling," insisted Superman, "If it helps, we actually have a military man in our team who can help you train further. He's a marine and he knows how to train heroes, people like you."

That got Shayera's attention. While the Swiss Guard was made up of the most honorable and kindest of men, they can't really train her regarding her wings and her dormant power. Her power was something that had come to her in flashes when she was under great stress or when she was in an emotional turmoil. She had been told that she took an ethereal and eldritch appearance. She never remembers what happens and it scared her enough that when the Cardinal Horatio had promised her that she will be able to control it, she accepted without a thought. Still though, she has never known life outside of Sperare and the Vatican. Was she really ready to see the world? Was the world ready for her?

"I… Could you please let me discuss this with my father privately?" asked Shayera. Superman nodded his head and gestured to the other two to follow him outside the underground apartment. When the door closed Shayera turned to her father and asked, "What do I do?"

"You ask me, Shayera?" asked her father as he sat down beside her and hugged her, "You are a grown woman now. For twenty-three years I have raised you and have helped you along your path. I take this as a sign from God that now is the time for you to spread your wings."

Shayera smiled at his words. All her life, her father has been the one constant pillar of support and love. He had helped her learn to walk and even without wings he taught her how to fly. Shayera hugged him tighter and said, "How do I do that?"

Roberto carefully hugged his only daughter, careful of her wings, and said, "Well, I believe the first step is to discuss this with his Holiness."

"Are you out of your mind?" asked Batman to Superman once they had left the apartment and the door closed.

"Bruce, you're overthinking this again." said Superman, knowing already where Batman's thought process was going. The man was a genius and a brilliant detective, but sometimes even he gets things wrong.

"You made a decision that required the whole League to convene." said Batman, eyes narrowing in anger.

"Batman, I've seen you induct members into the League that didn't require the Founding Members to discuss about. I trust her Bruce." said Superman.

"Superman," said Diana, "She avoided a lot of questions. We can't place trust on someone who could potentially be hiding something."

"And we need to give her the benefit of the doubt," insisted Superman, "We need her Batman and she is willing to help us."

Batman just kept glaring at Superman. Of course the Boy Scout will trust her immediately. She had the same backstory as he did and he was already forming a bond with her. Diana though was very much apprehensive about Shayera. Until she can have all the answers to her questions, she will remain distant to the woman until then. Superman though was getting frustrated at how Wonder Woman and Batman were acting about this. They were never this opposing when a new recruit was brought even if said new recruit is a victim of suspicion. When Batman brought in Question, Superman held his tongue as Question began to snoop around Watchtower files and knew that it was just in his nature.

A new idea formed in his head and he said, "We'll ask J'onn to read her mind if it helps."

Batman seemed to consider the idea and Superman felt a little relief that at least they had a plan. The door opened behind him and he turned to see the bishop and Shayera emerge.

"I will gladly help you," said Shayera, "but I must speak with His Holiness first before I do."

"Understandable," said Superman, "Would you like us to go with you?"

"Yes, if you don't mind," said Shayera, "Perhaps you three will convince him that I can provide some help."

"Of course." said Superman.

The Pope was convinced by Shayera's request and by the Man of Steel's that now was the time for the church to make their move. When the Vatican had discovered Shayera, they kept her hidden from the world except for Sperare in order to get her ready for threats such as this. The church's scientists had discovered that Shayera's metal has the capabilities to render magic and energy useless. With Shayera representing the church in the Justice League, they will hopefully have the chance to beat back the demons from the outer world. Cardinal Horatio was vehement about allowing Shayera leave the Vatican but the Pope had the final say and by tommorow, Shayera will be shown to the world.

 _ **Hey readers! I'm sorry it's been so late. I honestly had a little difficulty writing this because I didn't know how to write it. Hopefully it's good. Next chapter, Shayera meets a certain Lantern :)**_


	5. A Call for Justice

The Call for Justice

 ** _10 Years Ago_**

 _Shayera flew up just as she was about to hit the ground, frightening her father but exciting the younger children. Roberto was calming his frightened heart as he watched Shayera glide back gracefully into the sky. Shayera was growing before his eyes and he was amazed that thirteen years have passed already. Shayera was growing bolder in her flight however, which worried him greatly. His greatest fear was that somebody would see her and report to who knows what type of person or people. He has heard rumors of Demonic cults in the cities and the high rate of human trafficking in Italy was still . He worried greatly but never told her, only opening up to Mother Superior Frieda about his worries. Shayera flew up high into the sky again and began to dive down, this time folding her wings all the way until it was flat on her back. She dove head first towards the ground and the children were making noises of excitement and fear, Roberto believing that he too was making noises of fear. Shayera spread her wings out quickly though and once again pivoted back up into the sky. Roberto heard her laugh gleefully and smiled with her despite his anxious heart._

 _As Shayera flew into the clouds, Roberto heard the engine of an incoming vehicle. He turned to see a van approaching the church and was instantly terrified. If Shayera dove back down, they would see her. Roberto quickly approached the vehicle and put his hand up to signal them to stop. They did and the driver's side opened up. Out stepped a man wearing battle armor and an assault rifle. Roberto balked and froze when the man ordered, "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!"_

 _The children behind him gave cries of terror but Roberto quickly stood in front of them and told the intruders, "Ok, please. Don't do anything rash."_

 _The whole village was in an uproar. The intruders kept Roberto, the rest of the church and the children inside the chapel. Two of the armed men remained outside to make sure that the village remained compliant while the leader and another man kept the hostages inside the chapel. Roberto worried and quietly prayed, along with the rest of the sisters and brothers. Theywere terrified for the children, who were whimpering in the back, surrounded by the Sisters and Fathers. Mother Superior Frieda and Sister Claudia made sure to keep the children quiet, so as not to provoke the intruders._

 _"_ _Give us the angel, Father." ordered the leader. Roberto felt his heart freeze up. His worst fears have come to light and now Shayera was in danger. He was thankful that she has yet to be seen. She must have seen the intruders from her position in the sky and remained up there in safety. Roberto glared at the leader and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about."_

 _"_ _Come now, Father," said the man in a taunting tone, "Don't believe us to be idiots. We have been watching your village very closely since the children of Inconsape began to spread rumors about an angel in the countryside, the boys and I have decided to investigate. Tell us where the angel is and your village won't have to suffer through a massacre."_

 _Roberto felt fear take control of his instincts. He didn't want the village to suffer and he especially didn't want Shayera to be taken by these men. Just as he was about to tell the men off and make an attempt to reach for their weapons, gunfire was heard outside. They all fell silent as they heard the two armed men screaming directions at each other. Roberto wondered what was happening but didn't have time to dwell on it as he launched himself at the leader and began a struggle with him. The other man was just about to begin firing when the doors slammed opened. Roberto and the leader stopped in their struggle and watched as a glowing figure flew into the chapel. Roberto's eyes took a while to adjust, but he saw to his astonishment that the figure was none other than Shayera. Roberto felt fear once again grip him._

 _Two years ago during a thunderstorm, Shayera was found in the middle of the sky, accepting the electricity and glowing an eldritch blue color. She remained glowing in the sky until the thunderstorm subsided and she glided down back in the village. She couldn't stop the glowing and had to be hidden in the church until she could revert back to normal. Shayera had told her father that she had been frightened by the thunder and wanted it to go away faster. Something within her had heard her wish and had taken over. Shayera had described it as a nice voice that told her what to do. She had flown up high in the middle of the thunderstorm and she began to glow. When Shayera reverted back to normal, the village had believed that she had been ascending into a more holy state. Roberto and Frieda however kept an eye on Shayera in order to determine why and how she entered into this state._

 _Watching her though, a mere thirteen year old girl flapping her angelic wings in the chapel actually brought fear into the armed men. Roberto peeked outside to find two unconscious bodies and realized that's why they had been screaming and shooting: Shayera had been fighting them. The leader of the armed group aimed his rifle at Shayera quickly and fired, Roberto reacting too late to stop him. As the bullets approached Shayera, she merely tilted her head and the bullets stopped on the tracks before falling to the floor. Roberto, the church, and the children watched in awe as Shayera glowed brighter and she moved quicker than lightning. She only had to touch the rifle for it to burn from the gunman's hand. He screamed as he let go of his weapon and fell to the floor, keeping his burned hands close to his chest. The leader tried again to shoot at Shayera, but she deftly spread her wings and flew straight into him._

 _Roberto and the others in the church had managed to herd the children outside when a resounding crack echoed in the chapel. Roberto told the others to keep going outside and went back in for his daughter. He looked to see Shayera standing over the leader's body. She was no longer glowing but instead shaking and sniveling. Fearing the worst, Roberto ran towards her and turned her to him. Watery emerald eyes met his worried hazel ones. He looked down at the body of the leader gunman and saw that blood was pooling out of his mouth. He wasn't moving or breathing. He turned to Shayera reached to comfort her but she gave whimper and said, "I killed him."_

 _"_ _You didn't mean it." said Roberto as he hugged her stiff form. She began to sob into his chest and wrapped her arms and wings around him. Much like he did when she was just a baby, Roberto began to hush and hum a lullaby. He carried Shayera away from the body and walked outside where he quietly informed the Fathers and Sisters what to expect in the chapel. He handed the still crying Shayera to Don Octavio's wife, Carmen, so he can help clear up the chapel._

 _A few days passed and national police had arrived to take away the gunmen away. Their dead leader was given a small grave outside in the Sperare cemetery but away from the mausoleums and graves of the past citizens of Sperare. Shayera had been inconsolable. She refused to leave the church, often found praying for forgiveness in the altar, screaming from her nightmares, or refusing to be separated from either her father or anyone in the church. Roberto was worried for her and spent days fasting and praying for help. Help did come, but in a form he never would have believed._

 _One Saturday morning, a town car rode up the road into the village, causing many of the citizens to watch it warily. The car parked outside the church and Roberto quickly ran out to confront whoever had arrived in their village. He didn't expect to see a Bishop step out of the vehicle and greet him with, "Good Morning, Father Roberto. I am Archbishop Horatio. I have come with a request from his Holiness."_

 **Present Day**

Shayera stood beside her father as His Holiness addressed the press outside in the balcony. Every media news outlet was present due to the arrival of Superman and another member of the Justice League. Shayera has yet to meet him, but she hoped that they will get along. Shayera felt nervous yet excited. She was to be introduced to the world as a representative for the Church in the Justice League in an effort to help battle against the magical demons that had come from space. It took a while to educate Shayera on the current events of the world, but once she was caught up she was determined to help. Back when the Vatican first took Shayera in and began to train her, her father had given them the glowing rock called Nth. The welders that work exclusively for the Pope had turned it into armor and a mace. She was originally going to be given a traditional sword but her father had convinced the welders that if Shayera was to be a defender then she would do so in the ways of her fallen people.

Shayera was wearing the gold and silver armor with pride, a helmet constructed in an effort to mimic a hawk, and a dangerous mace clipped to her side. Shayera almost looked like a warrior from her lost planet, according to her father who still retained the knowledge and memories of her people due to the Absorbascon, if not for the Holy Trinity symbol that was branded on the left side of her armor, right above her heart. She almost looked like a renaissance knight with a lack of shield. Shayera spent a week with Superman, learning what she can of the world, and was happy that of the three heroes that she had met at least Superman didn't hate her at first sight. The Batman was always glowering at her and never talked directly to her. Wonder Woman was especially distrustful of her and Shayera suspected it had to do with her Greek background. Greek and Roman history after all never had good history.

As the Pope finished his prayer and thanks he turned and gestured to Shayera to walk out and greet the world. Shayera felt her father pat her back gently, right between her wings. She walked forward and was immediately assaulted with people taking pictures and people screaming out questions and demands to meet her. Shayera was nervous and turned to His Holiness. He looked amused at her stage fright and took over again, with Shayera standing by his side this time.

"Representing the Vatican in an effort to rid of our world from the terrible demons, the Angel of Rome will be helping the Justice League rid the world of evil." he paused as the audiences applauded and cheered before he resumed, "The Vatican has decided that enough is enough and we need to push back. In the face of evil, we must all stand strong and fight."

The Pope continued with his speech as Shayera nervously stood by his side. She was tempted to look behind her to see her father but kept her face straight forward and at attention. She will not disgrace the training the Swiss Guard has given her by being childish. Once the Pope finished with his speech, he and Shayera retreated back into the room while the Press was led to a conference building where the Pope can answer their questions.

"Should I be there, your Holiness? At the conference building, I mean?" asked Shayera.

"My daughter, I wish for you to get to know your new teammates better. Superman and the one they call the Green Lantern has already been led to a private room for you to begin your conversations. Do us proud Shayera. I believe this is why the Lord has chosen you to be here in our planet when you could have been sent to other more wondrous worlds. Keep faith, my daughter, and always know that you have a home with us here in the Vatican." said the Pope, giving Shayera her blessings. Shayera smiled and looked around before she hugged the bemused Holy Man. He chuckled and said, "Alright, off you go."

John Stewart watched as Superman nervously fretted with his hands. It was strange to see the Man of Steel look so… uncomfortable. John was actually excited to have been offered to bring in the new hero, who had been living in the Vatican. While not Catholic, John was still excited to be inside one of the well-guarded and holy places of the planet. The doors opened and John and Superman looked to see the Archbishop and the new hero walk in. John had seen her earlier and his breath had been taken away. When Superman had told him that she was an angel, he meant it literally. Beautiful grey wings were on her back while ruby red hair came poking out of the helmet. The armor for sure made her intimidating but John had no doubt that she was beautiful underneath it. Her vivid emerald eyes looked at his in surprise before she shyly waved her hand.

"Shayera," greeted Superman, "Archbishop Roberto. It's nice to see you again."

"It is nice to see you too Superman. I hope that you and your friend here will make sure to keep my daughter safe?" asked the Bishop.

"Father." muttered Shayera, blushing slightly that he was being such a father in front of the distinguished heroes.

"It's alright," chuckled Superman, "She'll be trained by John Stewart here, or the Green Lantern if you will."

John stepped forward and shook hands with the Archbishop before turning to the angel. Up close, he was surprised to find that she was actually smaller than him. It must have been the wings that added height to her. He faltered in his greeting however, surprised and almost a bit shy to greet her.

"John used to be a Marine before he began serving his time with the Green Lantern Corps," said Superman, "We also have state of the art training equipment and we never perform solo missions. We're a team, and we will work as one."

Shayera nodded in agreement and found herself looking back at the Green Lantern. She was surprised to find herself smitten with him, but she kept herself under control. There was a world crisis happening and Shayera needed to be focused. Still… it didn't hurt to look at him and it certainly didn't hurt to pretend that there wasn't a world crisis and they could have had more time to know each other. Just as Shayera was about to follow her father and Superman out of the room when two figures caught her eyes. They were standing behind the three men but they were visible to her. One man was wearing a blue cape and fedora that hid his eyes while the other man was pale white and wore a dark green hood and cape, his face hidden by the hood's shadow. Shayera turned to her father to catch his attention when she turned back to see that the two were gone. Shayera blinked in surprise and was about to investigate when she heard her father say, "Shayera, we must stop by Sperare so the village can say their goodbyes."

"Coming." said Shayera, deciding that perhaps it was a trick her mind was playing. As she turned to the door, she saw the Green Lantern hold it open for her and Shayera had to stop her heart from doing excited little jumps.

 **Hey readers, like or dislike? More John and Shayera in the next chapter, I finally have an outline for this story so I'll be updating it more soon. Thanks for reading :)**


	6. The Phantom and the Spectre

The Phantom and the Spectre

 _10 Years Ago_

" _What is His Holiness's request?" asked Roberto, a little excited but more wary of what the Vatican could want. Sperare is a small village after all and after the armed men's assault on the small village, everybody was watching the Vatican with weary eyes: untrusting that this man claims to be who he is. Roberto knew that Shayera was currently inside the chapel, still traumatized by the events that happened with the armed men.  
_ " _His Holiness wishes to speak with the angel." said the Bishop. Roberto blinked and felt his fist tighten. He didn't want Shayera to be some form of exhibit for people.  
_ " _How do I know that you are actually a Bishop from the Vatican? We had armed men storm into our village with claims of taking an angel away. We will appreciate it if we know with certainty that you are who you claim to be." said Roberto._

" _A wise move, Priest," said the Bishop and he looked into the town car and a man walked out with a large portable phone. The Bishop dialed the number and waited for the pick up and said into the phone, "I request an audience with His Holiness regarding the Sperare angela."_

 _He waited until he looked at Roberto and passed the phone to him. Roberto hesitantly put the phone next to his ear and asked, "To whom am I speaking to?"_

" _This is Representative Cardinal Juventos requesting that you please cooperate," came the voice of the famous Cardinal. Cardinal Juventos is known throughout the Catholic world as a no-nonsense man and his deep baritone voice was recognizable even over the phone. Feeling a little flustered, Ronaldo gave the phone and scrutinized the Bishop._

" _My daughter-"_

" _Your daughter?" questioned the Bishop in a condescending tone that made Roberto watch his anger._

" _Yes, I had discovered her in the woods and adopted her." said Roberto, "As I was saying, my daughter is currently in a distraught state. The armed men has left us in a very delicate situation."  
_ " _All the more reason to transfer your daughter to the Vatican." said the Bishop dismissively._

" _What?" asked Ronaldo._

" _His Holiness requests that the angel be moved from such an open environment into a more secure location." said the Bishop._

" _Wh-What? No! Didn't you hear me? We just had a traumatizing experience! I don't want my daughter to be anymore affected!" said Ronaldo with such force, that several of the citizens were actually taken aback to hear such anger in their Priest._

" _And I'm sure that your parenting skills are at the top level if you allow such an incident to happen to your 'daughter'." mocked the Bishop. Ronaldo felt his rage boil at the accusation but didn't want to cause any problems with the Vatican._

" _I will ignore that," said Ronaldo, "I insist however that your presence might not do any favors for my daughter."_

" _I'ms ure it does," said the Bishop, "I will leave for now. I will return however by the end of the week to see if you change your mind. Hiding an angel in the open is not the way to protect her." said the Bishop and he left. Ronaldo was left standing where he was for a few minutes until Sister Claudia walked next to him and said,"Shayera is looking for you."_

 _He walked back to the church and entered his bedroom to see Shayera quietly weeping in the corner. His heart broke again to see her devastation and quickly moved to hug her and soothe her sobs. She was trying to form words but her sobs continued to stop her. Ronaldo just held onto Shayera, hoping that with his hugs he can protect her from her nightmares._

" _I didn't mean to." she said as she finally stopped sobbing._

" _I know. I know," reassured Ronaldo, "It wasn't your fault, Shayera."  
_ " _Please don't hate me." pleaded Shayera and Ronaldo was prompted to squeeze his daughter tighter in his hug. He was worried for her and felt her shiver in his arms, her fear continuing to haunt her. Having somebody die in front of her eyes was something that he knew was going to haunt her for a long time. He spent hours praying and fasting that Shayera will eventually recover. His fears of the outside reacting to having an angel in their midst was confirmed true when the armed men had arrived and wanted to take Shayera away for who knows what. He was afraid of how the world may react and continues to hope that she will eventually recover from her ordeal._

 _As Shayera continued to sniffle, Ronaldo looked outside his window and knew what needed to be done._

 _After Shayera had finally fallen asleep, he contacted Don Octavio and requested that he borrow his van. It was for the best if he and Shayera headed towards the Vatican._

 _It only took a few hours to get everything ready. While he could have called Bishop Horatio for help, Ronaldo didn't like him and decided that he will need to take matters into his own hands and head on straight for the Vatican. Whatever His Holiness wants, Ronaldo hopes that he will also help Shayera. When they had left the next morning, Shayera was quiet in the back, folding her wings tight against her to form a fluffy blanket. She was in the back part of the van so she can be kept hidden from passersby._

 _It was a long ride to Rome. Shayera was unnaturally silent throughout the ride and Ronaldo was worried. When he stopped the van at the nearest restaurant, that was when Shayera finally broke her silence._

" _Am I being sent away?" she asked silently. Ronaldo froze in his seat and turned to look at her. She was staring at her hands but refused to look at him._

" _Shayera, look at me." said Ronaldo. When she didn't, Ronaldo got out of the driver's seat and hopped in the back to where Shayera was sitting. He sat next to her and sighed, wrapping his arms around her. She remained stiff, unsure of what he was going to say. Did he want her to leave his life? Was it that he didn't want a killer living with him that he was sending her away?  
_ " _Shayera, what you did was not your fault," said Ronaldo firmly, lightly cupping her face to look at him, "if I was the one who had pushed the man, am I killer?"_

" _NO!" cried out Shayera, "You are the most good of men!"_

 _Ronaldo chuckled and said, "Then you see Shayera? You are not a killer. You are the greatest gift ever to have been given to me."_

 _She was silent, taking his words into consideration and asked, "Then where are you taking me?"  
_ " _Somewhere so they can help you recover. It was very traumatizing what you just experienced and Sperare, I'm afraid, lacks the necessary skills to help you." explained Ronaldo._

" _Oh," said Shayera, "Then where are we going?"_

" _Roma." said Ronaldo, smiling at the delighted smile on her face._

" _We can see the Colosseo?" asked Shayera, excited to be able to see some of the landmarks she had read about in school._

" _Yes, but we must be careful Shayera." said Ronaldo. Don Octavio had given him a large coat for Shayera to wear so she can hide her wings better. As they continued on the drive, Ronaldo hopes that the Vatican will be able to help them. It took a few more hours, much of it Shayera had spent sleeping, but by the time they reached Rome, Shayera was excited. This is the first time she had ever left Sperare in a more urban setting than a mountainous region. Ronaldo was worried, anxious, and everything a father will be feeling when his daughter wants to explore unchartered territory._

 _As they drove into the city, Shayera excitedly jumped into the passenger seat and kept her wings tucked tightly against her drove past the Colosseum and Shayera excitedly asked if they could look and tour. Roberto anxiously scratched his head but her pleasing eyes won him over. Grabbing the large coat, Shayera put it on and had to struggle keeping her wings from flaring out. She was instinctively afraid of tight spaces and to be confined in the large coat made her feel a little tight. She didn't complain though and followed her father into the Colosseum and gazed in wonder at the history._

 _Ronaldo and Shayera made it a day to visit all the famous places in Rome. Shayera was having the time of her life and Ronaldo was happy to have provided it for her. By the end of the day, they finally made their way to the Vatican._

 _Ronaldo pulled up and told the security about speaking with His Holiness._

" _What business do you have priest?" asked the guard, a little rudely. Ronaldo merely sighed and explained again, "I have an urgent matter to discuss with him."_

" _I'm sure whatever you have to discuss with him, can be scheduled for a later date." dismissed the guard. Before Ronaldo could respond, Shayera popped into view from the passenger seat without the heavy coat on. The sight of a small girl with wings caused the guard to openly gape at her with wide eyes. Ronaldo, seizing his chance, said, "May I_ _now_ _speak with His Holiness?"_

Present Day

Shayera sat in the back of the van, her mask removed and she was glancing around. Superman and the Green Lantern had opted to fly above them for cover as Shayera and her father rode back to Sperare. Ever since Shayera had began her training in the Vatican, Sperare became a thriving community that supplies the Vatican with fresh produce yearly. Ronaldo still retained knowledge given to him by the Absorbascon which allowed him to understand and blend science and agriculture together.

Shayera wistfully thought of the handsome Lantern as her father spoke with the driver about current events. She had never met a man with skin as dark as his. His eyes were a beautiful emerald that glowed and was luminous. Shayera never thought green could be so bright. He stood straight and tall like a proud warrior and Shayera was excited to relieve training from him.

to be trained by him. She was so lost in thought about what she might learn that she didn't hear her father call out to her until he waved his hand in front of her face.

"Shayera? You're ok?" asked her father worriedly.

"Wh-What? Yes! Yes I am!" said Shayera hurriedly. Her father however saw the spreading blush come across her face and smirked at her. Her face lit up redder as he asked, "So who were you thinking of? Superman?"

"Father-"

"The Lantern?"  
"NO!" But she said it with such ferocity that Ronaldo had to give her a wide grin while she buried her face in her hands in embarrassment. Ronaldo chuckled and said, "Shayera, there is nothing to be embarrassed about having a slight crush."

"Isn't there?" asked Shayera.

"Well, you know I will have to excommunicate the Lantern if he ever defiled you-"

"FATHER!" cried out Shayera, mortified at her father's words. The driver was choking on his laughter, much to Shayera's horror that there was a witness to her father's words. Ronaldo laughed to the point where he began to tear up and Shayera only gave him a half-hearted glare. She focused her attention back at the mask in her hands. It was as close to the masks her fallen people had worn before they were massacred. They were an avian race and Shayera was proud to wear her armor. Though it was a little more human than Thanagarian, Shayera still wrote it proudly. As the hours dragged on, Shayera asked her father if it was alright to fly for a little bit, now that the world knows of her existence.

"Stick very close to Superman and the Lantern, Shayera. Don't fly ahead of us." instructed her father. Promising that she will not fly far, Shayera climbed out of the van and flew high up in the sky. Ever since she has been discovered by the Vatican, Shayera had been restricted in her flight and was kept in closed environments. She was never allowed to fly in Sperare whenever she visited over the years and it frustrated her greatly but she learned control over her abilities because of the discipline so she couldn't really complain. As Shayera joined Superman and Lantern in the sky, they flew closer to her to speak with her.

"How are you feeling, Shayera?" asked Superman.

"I feel excited, scared. That I'm sure and not sure at the same time. Is this normal?" asked Shayera.

"For the first time, yes. It's a little overwhelming at first but then you remember that you're not alone and that you will always have people to rely on." answered Superman. Shayera felt a little reassured and flew onwards, unaware of the staring Lantern.

John watched the angel when she had joined them when she had left the van. Her armor glimmered in the sunlight and he was breath taken by the sight. She was truly something out of this world. John listened to her and Superman talk but couldn't form words. He hadn't been this nervous over speaking with a girl since high school. John decided it was better to remain silent and just watch her. John wondered though why she was critical for the League to have on the team. While it was good for public image and relations to have a hero with the League that is representing the Vatican, what can she bring to the table to fight back against Darkseid's Four Horsemen?

As they flew for another hour, John watched as the angel sped ahead quickly and said, "My village is just beneath us!" John looked down and saw that a small village surrounded by large farm fields and a running river was below them.

Shayera excitedly flew low so she could be close to the van and John and Superman watched as people began to run out of their homes and leaving their farm work behind to greet their returning friends and the heroes. John and Superman held back as the Bishop and Shayera greeted the village with smiles and excitement. Shayera was the center of attention however. John and Superman smiled as children surrounded her, begging to be taken for a flight while Shayera greeted her old friends with smiles and hugs. The elders greeted the Bishop with smiles while everybody else began to shout for the celebration to begin.

" _Naomi! Sarah! Incontra Superman e Lanterna Verde_!" spoke Shayera in Italian as she led two women towards Superman and John. It was only when Shayera was moving towards them that the whole village finally noticed them. They all clamored around the heroes, making them feel a little flustered.

John and Superman were amazed at how quickly everybody returned back to their chores and jobs in order to be free for the later night celebration. They followed Shayera and Ronaldo into the small chapel where they were quietly greeted by the priests and nuns. John and Superman were a little culture-shocked throughout the day, finding it almost amusing to see the angel, Shayera, move around so comfortably and relaxed as she revisited her old home. Giving them a brief tour, Ronaldo took Superman and John to the courtyard so they can meet the rest of the convent, while Shayera made her way to the cemetery. Briefly glancing at the lone grave of the armed man who had attempted to kidnap her almost ten years ago. Shayera only sighed and walked on, still feeling guilty over his death but knowing that it wasn't her fault.

Shayera stood in front of a beautiful headstone close to the mausoleum, and read the writing: _Mother Superior Frieda Accorsi. Well Beloved in Life. God Bless Her._ Shayera cleared her throat and said, "Good Morning. I'm back. Like I said I would last month. I… I have recently been exposed to the world and now I am in a League of heroes, blessed heroes who give their lives for the good of humanity. It's always something I dreamt of doing, do you remember? Long ago when I was but a child and I could still sit on your lap? I get to travel the world now. I'll visit Egypt like I said I would and I'll bring back the sands from the Pyramids and lay them here for you, to show you that I will always come back home. I wish you could be here to see me. I don't know if this is the right course or not. I want to make you proud like I'm doing all of Italy and Sperare… I miss you."

Shayera sniffed and cleared her throat, looking at the headstone fondly. It has already been five years since Mother Frieda's passing, but Shayera still missed her. Mother Frieda was every bit a mother to Shayera as Doña Carmen is. Shayera was looking at the tombstone that she almost didn't hear the footsteps behind her. Quickly grabbing her clipped mace, Shayera swung around to defend herself against whoever attempted to sneak up on her to find herself looking at two men. Wary, Shayera inspected them as they kept their distance from her. It was the same two men from the Vatican: The green-cloaked man and the Fedora-wearing man.

"Who are you?" asked Shayera.

"I am the Phantom Stranger and this is my associate, the Spectre." said the fedora man.

"Why did you follow me?" asked Shayera.

"There are terrible forces at play that only you can stop." said the Spectre, his voice hollow and cold. Shayera shivered and tried not to look intimidated, but it only made the Spectre laugh.  
"Calm yourself, Daughter of Thanagar. The Presence doesn't require me to punish you for anything." said the Spectre.

"The Presence?" questioned Shayera.

"The one you refer to as God." said the Spectre. Shayera felt her eyes widen and almost bowed to show respect to the angel of God, but kept herself in check. She didn't know what their business is and exposing herself will not do her any favors.

"God? He… will he help rid of the demons?" asked Shayera, hope blooming within her.

"Alas," said Phantom Stranger, "He will not. He has chosen Spectre and I to help rid the world of the demons and you have been chosen as well."

"M-Me?" asked Shayera, overwhelmed.

"Yes," said the Spectre, "Stranger and I will help guide you to achieve this. We will be seeing you every now and then to ensure that you are victorious in battle."

"I-I don't know what to say," said Shayera, "Thank you. God bless you."

"And to you as well," said Spectre as he faded away. Shayera marveled at his power when the Phantom Stranger said, "I leave you with this warning Shayera Hol. You will meet resistance in your new life. There are those who will question your beliefs, your existence, and your ethics based on your background. Do not succumb to their poison."

"I won't." promised Shayera, feeling more confident than she should. Who will try belittle her? Weren't heroes honored in this world? Phantom Stranger tipped his fedora and said, "Before I forget, I promised to pass along a message."

"What message?" asked Shayera, curious.  
"She says that she will always be proud of you and to never change." said the Stranger before fading away.

"She?" asked Shayera out loud before turning around to look at Mother Frieda's tombstone. Tears poured out of her eyes and she fell upon the tombstone, wrapping her arms around it and silently crying, overwhelmed that Mother Frieda had passed on a message to her.

John and Superman followed Rodrigo out to the cemetery to search for Shayera and saw her kneeling before a tombstone, her mask off and her head bowed. Rodrigo sighed and knew that she was grieving over Frieda's tomb.

"Who is she praying over?" asked Superman, his super-hearing able to hear her whispered prayer.  
"Mother Frieda," said Rodrigo, "If there was one woman in this whole village who could keep Shayera in check, it was her. She was like a mother to Shayera."

"How long ago did she pass away?" asked John.

"Five years ago," said Rodrigo, "Not a day goes by though where Shayera doesn't miss her. Shayera and the village."

"She was that important?" asked Superman.

"All life is important," said Rodrigo, "but Mother Frieda was certainly the backbone for the village. Mother Superior Claudia is living up to her memory however and that's all we could ask for."

Shayera stood up and John watched as her fire hair swayed lightly in the breeze. She turned to see them and he was once again greeted with her emerald eyes, his heart skipping a beat when she met eyes with him. She grabbed her mask and walked towards them, intending to be ready for the celebration.

And what a celebration. John thought that he had seen the most from family parties but nothing beats an Italian celebration. Food was around and people were dancing. Many girls wanted to dance with the great Man of Steel while John quietly conversed with some of the elders. Shayera was currently speaking with her friends, showing off her new armor and allowing them to hold her mace and wear her mask. It amused him at how comfortable everyone was acting around Shayera, as though a woman with large grey wings was nothing out of the norm.

Seeing her eyes sparkle though took his breath away and he had to look away so his mind wouldn't be muddled. Shayera was making discreet glances over at him though whenever he looked away. Her friends teased her, Naomi almost going over to the Lantern to tell him about Shayera's infatuation before Shayera threatened to fly Naomi over the river. Shayera though was experiencing a new feeling and she wasn't sure if this was just a passing fancy or something more meaningful. She hasn't really had a full conversation with the man after all. She could only wait and see what the future held for her.

Meanwhile

Phantom Stranger and Spectre watched over the little village from a distance, making sure that the Vatican Angel didn't stray too far. They had both been tasked by the Presence to help Shayera fulfill her potential and save the world. She was the last of her kind, magic-resistant people who were capable of battling deities. Shayera Hol was the last chance Earth had to defeat Morgana and Darkseid's Magical Horsemen.

"Shayera needs to mature," argued Phantom.

"I will help her. Battling these Horsemen require a more severe hand and her current status will not do us any favors." said the Spectre.  
"There is another force, something hidden from our sights." said Stranger.

"I have sensed it," said Spectre, "It has Lucifer's hand all over it."  
"As if fighting Four Horsemen and a crazed sorcereress isn't enough," said Stranger. Spectre and Phantom Stranger continued watching over the village, the world at rest for the moment until Morgana and the Horsemen rear their ugly heads again.

 _ **Hey readers, hope you liked the chapter. Tell me what you think about Spectre and Phantom Stranger. Until next time, thank you for the reviews :) they always make my day :)**_


	7. New Recruit

_**New Recruit**_

 _After several hours going through security and waiting in rooms, Roberto and Shayera managed to successfully gain an audience with His Holiness. They were waiting in a small room, Shayera gazing outside the window in marvel as Roberto nervously paced. He brought Shayera in order to give her the help she deserves that she can't get in Sperare but what did it mean? Did it mean that he had to give up guardianship over Shayera? Will he be forbidden from ever seeing his daughter again? Roberto could feel his heart ache at the thought and looked over at her as she excitedly looked over the courtyard. Her first time outside the village made her so happy and Roberto wondered how the Vatican might help her when the doors opened. A line of security men entered first, frightening Shayera as she hid behind her father's legs. The next to come in was Bishop Horatio, who looked very displeased._

" _I thought I had given to you strict instructions to contact me first." said the Bishop._

" _I thought to save you the trouble by coming here in person." responded Roberto, noting the displeasure cross the Bishop's face._

" _I have heard of an angel residing here in our fair Italia," said a voice behind the Bishop. Looking behind him, The Pope walked in. Roberto respectfully bowed to His Holiness and Shayera mimicked her father, not understanding why but following his lead._

" _So this is the angel." said the Pope as he approached Shayera. Shayera hid behind her father's legs again, shy and a little scared._

" _Welcome to Il Vaticano, angel." said the Pope. Shayera shyly waved at him but remained close to her father's side._

" _I see that she has an attachment to you Brother," said the Pope, smiling at her smile, "How long has she been living with you?"_

" _I found her when she was just an egg," explained Roberto and the Bishop interrupted, "An egg?"_

" _Yes, her world had been destroyed and her father had sent her here to save her." explained Roberto._

" _And how have you come across this information?" asked the Pope._

" _Her father sent with her a helmet that gifts the wearer with the knowledge and history of the planet and of her family." said Roberto._

" _Ah, this explains why Sperare then was able to modernize with vigor." chuckled the Pope. Shayera smiled bigger hearing the older man laugh, he felt safe to be around._

" _Father is a smart man" said Shayera, wanting to partake in the conversation, "He helped the village mass-produce vegetables."_

" _Oh really? A real blessing from the Lord then to have given your father the opportunity to learn." praised the Pope. Rodrigo almost had to laugh at the way her feathers puffed with pride for contributing in the conversation but he needed to get to the point._

" _Your Holiness," he began, "When I found Shayera as an egg, I had recently lost my family. I took it as a sign of God that she had been placed into my life out of all the people in the world that she could have gone to. For thirteen years, the village and I have raised Shayera as one of us but after the events that happened days ago with the armed men… we realized that we lacked the skills necessary to help Shayera. We have prayed and fasted but we needed to accept that Shayera needed better help than what we could provide to her. I was hoping that here, then maybe she might receive the help that we couldn't offer her."_

" _You're already helping her, Brother," said the Pope, "You have brought her here for help and as a caring father, you knew the risks that can come with revealing that you had an angel for a daughter."_

" _You can help her?" asked Rodrigo._

" _Yes," interjected the Bishop, "But you must leave her here under our care and return to your village."  
_ " _What?" asked Rodrigo as Shayera tightly clung to his legs again, this time out of fear of him leaving._

" _Your presence will only serve to distract her and therefore hinder her progress." explained the Bishop a malicious glint in his eye._

" _NO!" cried out Shayera and she clung to her father's leg even harder, wrapping her wings around him to prevent them from separating her from her only family. Rodrigo had to grunt to keep himself from yelling out in pain. Shayera's nails were digging into his skin and he was sure that he will be bleeding once she lets go. The Bishop was almost tempted to just drag the angel away but the Pope raised his hand and said, "The love between a child and the parent must never be severed, Bishop Horatio. It seems we need to make accommodation in order to assure this family stays together."_

 _The Bishop looked like he had swallowed something bitter but nodded his head nonetheless. Shayera was still afraid to let go of her father's leg and Roberto only gave her a one armed hug before shaking hands with the Pope that he will help in the preparations. Roberto and Shayera didn't know what was in store for them, but they both knew that so long as they were together then they can overcome the obstacles as father and daughter._

 _The requirements made to help Shayera and Rodrigo move into the Vatican proved to be the most expensive and time consuming the Vatican ever faced. While honored to be hosting an Angel, the Pope had ordered that she be trained under the Swiss Guard in order to develop start building her skills. Rodrigo at first had almost been against it, but seeing Shayera's obvious excitement and delight while she did a training spar with a Swiss Guard convinced him otherwise. Rodrigo was again reminded of the helmet that had come with Shayera when she had been sent to Earth. It had given him knowledge that was almost too difficult for a human mind to try to comprehend unless the knowledge had been dumped into the brain. When they had begun to move things out of Sperare and into the Vatican, Rodrigo made sure to keep the helmet's existence a secret, especially away from the Bishop._

 _Sperare was placed under the Vatican's official authority and much of the produce is bought by the Holy City in order to help support the village. The residents of Sperare were delighted and while excited that Shayera was going to be training under the Swiss Guard but they were also saddened to have her leave them. Shayera too had been almost inconsolable when Rodrigo had informed Shayera about permanently leaving Sperare and His Holiness had allowed Shayera to live in Sperare every summer so long as she spends the rest of the year at the Vatican. As Rodrigo and Shayera slept in their temporary rooms, Rodrigo hopes that one day Shayera will be able to fly on her own without having someone over her head. He is getting old and he doesn't know how long he has on the Earth until his eventual death. He can only hope and pray that Shayera will be prepared to be on her own in the world._

Shayera was up before the sunrise, perched on top of the chapel as she looked at the rising sun. Today is the day that she will be moving from Italy to the United States. This will be the first time she was leaving the country. She will finally visit Egypt like she had told Mother Superior Frieda all those years ago and bring back the sands from the pyramids to her grave. She was afraid though because it will also be the first time she didn't have her father by her side. He was going to stay in Italy in order to act as a liaison for the Justice League and the Roman Church. Shayera is excited for sure, but she is now feeling the comprehension and fear running through her mind. She was deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice John Stewart walk out from the guest house and fly towards her. It was until the green light flashed in front of her that she finally noticed him.

"A bit early to awake?" questioned John as he sat beside Shayera. The perch was narrow so Shayera squeezed her wings in to allow the Lantern to sit beside her comfortably.

"I'm always up at this time," said Shayera, "The Swiss Guard have always kept me in a strict schedule and this is normally the time I'd be doing drills in the gym."

"They have a gym in the Vatican?" asked John.

"It's underground next to my apartments," explained Shayera, "The church spared no expenses in building suitable living conditions for me and father."

"You never found it to be confining then to be underground?" asked John.

"For a while, I had a fear of small spaces but my father helped me get passed it and living underground isn't so bad." said Shayera, smiling at her early memories of living in the Vatican.

"I would have thought that a bird doesn't like to be caged." teased John. His smile made her heart skip a beat but she quickly responded, "I had perfect liberty to leave if I wanted to, but they helped me so much during my darkest time."

"How are you feeling right now then?" asked John. The angel, Shayera, had her helmet off so he had a full view of her face. The morning sun shone brightly and her emerald eyes shone that it took his breath away. Her red hair glittered in the sunlight and she looked delicate despite her obvious lethality. He had previously tested her earlier in the week, wanting to see her skills and was impressed to see her skills match his.

"I feel… excited and scared. I have always wanted to explore the world and now that I have that chance, I'm afraid. I've always had my father with me and now that he is staying behind… I don't know what to expect now." confessed Shayera.

"You'll be fine," assured John, "It's going to be rough at first but eventually you're going to find your footing and you'll be able to show the world just what you're made of."

Shayera smiled at his words and stood up, John standing as well. She spread her wings and flew down in front of the chapel to greet her father and Superman who had just awoken.

"It's time." said Superman, offering Shayera a kind smile. She smiled back and walked to her father.

"I have something for you Shayera," said Rodrigo. As Superman and the Green Lantern waited outside, Shayera followed her father to his old office. As they walked in, Shayera noticed the box that her father always told her never to look inside. She wondered what was in it and waited until her father opened it and brought out a wire rimmed helmet. She looked at it oddly until her father explained, "This is the last relic your real father had sent with you when he sent you to Earth."

Shayera felt her eyes widened and could only look at the helmet in apprehension. Her father gently placed the helmet in her hands and explained, "This helmet holds all the knowledge that was left behind by your homeworld. Your father had left a message inside to give you the helmet until the time was right. You decide when to wear the helmet Shayera."

Shayera could only look at it, unsure what to say. This is her link to her people… to her lost family. Was her biological father kind like her own father here on Earth? What was her mother like? Growing up in the convent meant being surrounded by many nuns and regarding them as her own mother so Shayera was curious to know what her biological mother might have looked like. She looked at her father with tears in her eyes and said, "Thank you."

They hugged each other, unsure when they will be able to see each other again. Shayera hooked the helmet on her side, deciding to wait until she had a private moment to go through the helmet. She met with Superman and John outside, the rest of the village awake and ready to bid farewell to her. The goodbyes were sad but they were encouraging as well. As Shayera flew up high with Superman and John, she looked back one last time to wave good bye. Her father was in the front of the crowd, smiling wide as he waved goodbye to Shayera. He prayed silently to God that Shayera will be protected and that she will find herself as her own person now that she has flown from the nest.

 **Metropolis**

Shayera, Superman, and John had flown to Rome where they had placed their ship, a Javelin. Being inside a complicated and advanced vehicle amazed Shayera and when they had taken off, she was excited to see how the world below them flew by quickly. They were to land in the United States where the Justice League had a base called the Metrotower. Unknown to Shayera though was the reception she was going to receive. When the Pope had revealed to the world that Shayera was to be joining the Justice League as a representative, a mix of awe and excitement had swept through Metropolis.

As they landed outside the Metrotower, a beautiful skyscraper that was stationed on its own separate island, they were met with a crowd of believers and curious onlookers who wanted to see firsthand the Angel of Rome. Shayera, to say the least, was shocked and shy at meeting the crowd. John however extended his hand out to her and helped her move into the spotlight. Superman addressed the crowd and the press, deciding that it will be better to get it over with now.

There were questions that were asked left and right and Shayera was amazed that Superman was capable of answering them just as quickly. Most questions regarded Shayera's role and how involved the Vatican was going to be. After reassuring them that Shayera's role was to be a new hero and that the Church only wanted to help out in ridding the Earth of Morgana's evil magic and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, everybody seemed relieved. Shayera didn't say anything and was going to follow Superman and Lantern into the tower when she noticed an elderly woman with a hunched back waving at her. She smiled and walked to her, ignoring everybody's cameras as they all took a picture of her.

"I always knew angels existed in this world, thank you for coming to help us." said the woman. Shayera took her hand and said, "I will do my best to help you all."

"I don't doubt it," chuckled the woman, "God has sent you here to be our sword against this darkness."

A horrific cough went through the woman and Shayera worriedly rubbed her back.  
"Is something wrong?" asked Shayera.

"Nothing to worry about," said the woman, "Just my bronchitis."

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" asked Shayera.

"Nonsense, it is will worth it to see an Angel." said the woman. Shayera placed a hand on the woman's hunch and said, "May I pray for you?"

The old woman smiled and said, "You may."

Shayera quietly said the prayer and the woman and Shayera never noticed how a blue ethereal glow began to shine from Shayera. It enveloped the woman and they both didn't realize what was happening until the elderly woman suddenly stood straighter and her breathing became more natural. The elderly woman looked at Shayera in amazement while Shayera herself looked down at the glow. Superman and John looked on in wonderment as the press went crazy, demanding Shayera to reveal how she healed the woman. Shayera though was dumbstruck at her power, never once believing that she had this skill.

"Looks like things just got interesting." muttered Superman as he and John quickly escorted Shayera into the tower.

"I-I'm sorry." said Shayera, terrified that she might have done something wrong, "I never had this ability before."

"It's alright," reassured John, "We're a team now and that means through thick and thin, we'll help you."  
"John's right, Shayera," said Superman, "You're a Justice League member now and that means we're always here to help you on the way."  
Shayera smiled at his words and followed them into the tower, unsure of her future with them but confident that it will all be alright. From the distance, Phantom Stranger and Spectre stood afar as they discussed what they witness.  
"The Nth Source is powerful in her." mused Spectre.  
"She is the last of her kind," said Phantom, "She is the only one the Source recognizes as worthy."

"They'll be calling her a prophet after that display," said Spectre.

"Let them," said Phantom, "Only the Lord knows how this world needs a light. The girl can help them overcome their darkness."

"We will have to start training her soon." said Spectre.  
"Let her settle down," said Phantom, "It's a big world and she'll be experiencing culture shock like no other."

The two powerhouses disappeared in a flash, allowing Shayera to settle in before they had to train her.

 _ **Hey readers :) finally got it out :) next chapter she meets Flash and J'onn and experiences Batman's moodiness. Until then, thanks for reading :)**_


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